But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.
Romans 10:21
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with God against Israel?
Romans 11:1-2
But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal. In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace. Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.
Romans 11:4-6
I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if I might somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them. For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
Romans 11:11-15
Now if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.
Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Romans 11:16-21
Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
Romans 11:22
And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?
Romans 11:23-24
But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.
Romans 10:21
Can you remember a time from your childhood when you were disobedient and defiant? How did you parents respond? What did you learn from that experience?
Read Romans 10:21. What are some possible responses God COULD have when His people are disobedient and defiant? How does He respond instead? What does that tell us about the nature and character of God?
Read Romans 11:6. What is grace? How is “salvation by grace” different from “salvation by works”? Why is it difficult to believe that we are saved by grace alone?
Read Romans 11:18-20. What are some ways/situations when you are tempted to be boastful or arrogant? How does the Gospel speak to that temptation?
As we press “pause” in our Romans study, comment on how you’ve been impacted overall by the book of Romans? What new insights have you gained? What steps of faith are you hoping to take?
